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I Got The Grant! OK, Now What?

The blood rushes to your face, you leap out of your chair, you shout, you scream, you fistbump your cat and the world will never be the same.

And of course you should do all those things and savor the moment. Getting a grant, especially if it is your first grant, is an amazing accomplishment

Congratulations!

One of my students called me to tell me this the other day and since it was a few days since his last fistbump, coming back to earth has made him realize that he didn’t really know what to do next.

He had focused solely on getting the grant not thinking too much about what his next steps were once he got the grant. Some artists tell me they purposely don’t do this so they won’t jinx the grant

Don’t do that.

The Sequence of Success

I think about this whole grant cycle as a loop. I call it a Grantstacking Sequence.

It begins with you being very clear about aligning your mission with your targeted funder’s mission.

Example: You are passionate about arts education in the public schools. Your funder’s mission is to provide access to test prep for eighth grade students applying to specialized high schools.

You identify common goals.

Example: You and your funder share a common goal: To get more eighth grade students into the specialized performing arts high school of their choice.

You develop a unique offer.

Example: Your project is a training program for eighth graders that is co created with dance, music & art teachers from the specialized high schools that leads to a portfolio review day prior to the school audition dates.

How did you get to this point?

You didn’t.

You and your funder did this together

You both entered into the Grant Conversation.

You shifted from being an applicant to being a partner with your funder. By engaging your funder in a conversation prior to submitting your proposal, you learn what is truly important to the funder and you understand more clearly the nuances of their priorities.

The example above is based upon a situation that happened to me recently. The funder supported afterschool portfolio development for visual art students and the grant I submitted was for a program that was exactly that.

Well, not exactly.

My program was for high school students aspiring to enter college. This funder’s specific priority was for eighth grade students preparing for the specialized high school entrance exams.

Same program content.

Different student grade.

I learned this by immediately putting myself in the Grant Conversation phase with my funder after my application was turned down and this is how the program evolved.

The Grant Conversation

This must happen whether you get the grant or not.

As in my case, I did not get the grant so of course, I called for panel comments and this is what I learned. I can take this valuable information and create a project that better aligns our missions and therefore has a better chance of being funded the next cycle.

For my student who did get a grant, the Grant Conversation begins with an immediate thank you.

I always call my funders for comments when I get a grant. You can always be better and by asking for feedback you demonstrate true interest in constantly improving. People like that and it never fails to amaze me that very few people take the opportunity to do this.

You do your project.

You keep your funder informed by sending updates, press releases, or blog posts in addition to any interim or final report they require.

Invite them to the culminating event.

Inquire about a grant renewal.

If there are other ways you can be more than a grantee, find out what they are.

Examples:

Some corporate funders have blogs on their site and are always looking for good content from their grantees. You can submit a post about your project.

If a funder holds a gathering of grantees, make sure you attend and offer to be helpful, participate on a panel or offer to pitch in the day of the event.

Acknowledge your funders on your printed materials, on your website, on all of your program communications and social media platforms. Give them SEO love.

Remember, the best approach to getting a grant is to take the long view.

Your grant award is part of the relationship you are now building with your funder. Make sure you follow the steps above during the life of your grant to ensure there will be more to come your way.

About the Author: Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer helpsartists & creative peoplegrow their careers with great grant writing strategies & mindsets she has developed over 15 years as an veteran grant panelist, grant maker & grant writer. Get her FREE Master Grant Strategy Worksheetand a weekly dose of insights from a grant reviewer’s point of view.

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One thought on “I Got The Grant! OK, Now What?”

Beloved Hoong YeeLee
I thank you for this tip about geting to win the heart and favor of a funder, it cool and reasonable , but I still need to understand how to draft a grant. I have been hearing the word grant and what I think it means is in form of a small loan from the goverment or private sector for a particular project.
I need some money to complete the work of art that is with me and the work is the artistic impression of the heavenly bodies in the image of the cloud covered with the cloud as they move in images of person and this image shine as light of silver………..
I am training myself to become a writer and I write the tales of the heavenlis as cloud
What God wants to deliver to you is not Miracle, not Money but God wants to deliver and give you the word into your life for you to see and know those things which God had hidden and ordained for these Generation of ours…………..
Seek the kingdom first and every other things needed shall be added to you……..

Let me ask you do you know when God disposes it and causes the light of the cloud to shine?
Do you understand the spreading of the cloud the wondrous work of him who is perfect in Knowledge? with cloud he covered the Light and commanded it not to shine………
all these are what God has anoint me to come and say among you Cfan members………

I want you to read along and you as an ordained ministry from God I want you to be concerned and reason along with me and others if what you are reading could be…………
all I know is that no one can call the name Jesus Christ except he is been lead by the spirit….

ORACLE OF WATCHMAN
Beloved,
One is calling to me from the cloud [Psalm 99 vs.7].
Watchman what of the night?
The watchman says: morning comes and also the night.
Upon a watch tower I stand , Oh Lord continualy by day am at my post
I am stationed whole nights.
A stern vision is told to me, the plunderer plunders and the destroyer destroys,
Fallen, fallen is Syria, Egypt, Iraq and all the images of them gods
He Lord have shattered to the ground.

All men have looked on it everyday by day, man behold the cloud from afar.
God is great and we know Him not, the wondrous work of Him who is perfect in knowledge
For he gather up the drops of water and distill His mist in rain, which the skies pour down and drop upon man abundantly for by this He seal up and cover the root end of the sea, for the snow He say fall on earth and to the shower and rain be strong.

By the breath of God ice is given and the waters are frozen fast He loads the thick cloud with moisture the cloud scatter his lightning, the cloud turn round and around by his guidiance to accomplish all that he commands them on the surface of the habitable world, whether for correction or for his land, or for love, He causes it to happen.

Can any one understand the spreading of the cloud?
For by these He judges people, He gives food in abundance, it is he who is jealous with anger against iniquity.
What I have heard from the Lord of Hosts. The God of Isreal I announce to you.
“it is because God want us to know his works that is why He gave the order that men are to seal up them palm and meditate candle inside palm make supplication to Him.”

To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity, Amen.
Beloved I therefore urge you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I want to arouse your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should remember the predictions of the Holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and savior through your apostles.
Do not ignore this one fact beloveth that with the Lord a thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand year. Therefore beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. I write to you according to the wisdom given to me for there are some miseries hard to understand which the ignorant and unstable twist to their destruction as they do the other scriptures, they deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth formed out of water and by means of water. By the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but it is forebearing towards you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells for the day of the Lord has come like a thief and then the heavens are passing away gradually with a loud noise and the elements will be dissolved with fire and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.
You ought to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God. As I regard you faithful Ihave written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I pray and hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. I tell you that the Lord have decide to use the foolish things and saying to confront the wisdom of the wise. Greet one another with the kiss of love, peace to all of you that are in Christ.

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